Reckoning: Chapter 54
by Michelle.Lee.PDX
Summary: Dru receives a little gift from her nemesis Lena, one that she won't forget. Dru has a vision of the past that reveals something intriguing about her family. The Pactus continues between wulfen and djamphire while Dru's friendship with Graves get more complex.


My adrenaline levels were starting to lower since all the running and hex casting was done. My head felt woosy and full of noise. I felt a sharp pain on my lower back and reached to touch the spot with my right hand. It felt wet while at the same time the smell of blood surged into my nostrils. My aspect waved as the odor intensified. "Hey guys, I don't feel so…" I collapsed on the floor and saw several feet running towards me.

"She's injured and we've got blood. Dibs, get in here!" Graves started ordering everyone around using his _dom_ voice. "Shanks, Nat… push the crowd away from this area. Her blood is going to start a frenzy if the _djamphire _and_ wulfen_ can't control their shit."

"Will do, boss." The two _wulfen _took off immediately to execute his command.

Graves looked at Jae-Hwa. "Find Augustine now. Dru needs him." She nodded without a word and left the room as swift as a cat.

"Leander, I'm sorry we've not met before but now isn't the time for niceties. Help me get Milady to the carpet so we can assess her injury?" He gave a head nod in the direction of the area rug near the fireplace across the room.

"Yes of course, Mr. Graves." Leander removed the cloak he was wearing and laid it on the ground to make a lift for me. The two carried my half conscious body and then carefully moved me over to the carpet. I was barely awake and floated in and out of the present moment. Dibs came with his EMT kit in hand and started getting out his plastic gloves.

"Leander… you were right. Lena is too powerful. We have to double the training. I can't kill her like this. I need more skills. You know?"

Leander looked at me with a concerned and sympathetic face. "Yes,_ Rajkumari_. But first you must get treated for your injury. Can you turn on your stomach so I can look?" I nodded my understanding. I was afraid to know what was carved on my back. The last time the Polish word for vengeance was engraved in my skin. This time, I could only guess.

Dibs started gently wiping the blood off my back. "Dru, this is gonna sting a bit so try to stay still." The smell of my blood was potent. Graves was holding himself together pretty well and trying not to be affected by the odor. He'd dealt with my injuries before and made it through without incident. However he was more restrained than most and we all knew how _svetocha_ blood made the boys, _wulfen _and_ djamphire_, lose control at times. Dibs was around blood so often he barely flinched at its scent anymore.

From my left, August entered the room with Jae-Hwa in tow. "Dru! Shit girl, what the hell did Gogol do to you? It's my fault for not being here for you. With the Pactus going on, we're stretched thin. No offense." August looked at Graves semi-apologetically.

"None taken, Kourio. Actually I agree. Dru is not to be left unguarded. When I was here, she never left my sight. Ever."

"Well you're not here anymore and she's not the same person she was when she was 16, Graves." August looked kind of annoyed at Graves' comment that _schola_ security was unfit. He looked back to me again. "But I have to agree, we gotta get your guardsmen in gear ASAP."

"Even with guards, we can't fight her. She can only be defeated with magic, my magic." I wasn't sure how I knew all of this but I did. The touch had showed me that Christophe and I were destined to fight her. It also showed me I was likely to lose him after a battle, somewhere in a cave or dark room where he'd ask me to drink his blood and I would. But just how to stop before the _blood dark_ took me was another lingering question.

"Quiet everyone! Who knows what this is?" Dibs finished cleaning my wound as best as he could. Everyone was silent as they looked down at my exposed lower back. I could feel the intensity of the moment rise however I was in suspense of what they were seeing.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is on my back?"

"Milady, I'm glad you're feeling better already. That means your injury is healing." Leander's voice was calming as he attempted to soothe my frustration.

August spoke in a very soft manner. "Dru girl, the thing on your back… looks like a picture of… you."

"What? I need to see it. Does anybody have a mirror or something so I can see what's on my Goddamn back?" I was frantic.

A soft voice spoke up from the back of the crowd. It was Jae-Hwa. "Pardon my intrusion, but I have an iPhone. I can take a photo and show you what is there. Here." She stepped forward and pointed the camera at my back. I stayed very still as I thought about the ingenuity of her suggestion and let her take the picture. All I was could think of was, _I'd better not see that photo on Instagram tomorrow._

Jae-Hwa handed me her phone. I took it from her eagerly and stared at the picture. I couldn't make out the image at first but then I realized it was an etching of my own face. The strange part was that the features were not normal. They were oddly elongated, hollowed and ugly. The hair was depicted as wet and stringy with strands hung around the sunken cheeks. The most eerie factor about it was the eyes. They were drawn circular and fake looking, just like a doll's… like a _matryoshka_.

_Wait! I've seen this before. For my 18__th__ birthday, someone gave me a set of Russian nesting dolls and the smallest one had rounded eyes, just like this._ _That can't be, can it? Lena was still bound in the Century Hex at that time, wasn't she? _ I almost started hyperventilating with fear, but my aspect and training on sorcery filled my head first. My ass-kicking, angry mode engaged instead. _That bitch is good. _

August, Shanks and Nat escorted me back to my room to inspect for any damage done by Lena. "What do you think she was looking for?"

"Not really sure, but I'm willing to bet she is trying to find out where Christophe is. Maybe she thinks I've been in communication with him.

"Have you been, Dru?" August asked quietly.

"No, Augie. I would've told you if I had." I was a little annoyed at his question. _Does he think I keep stuff from him? He's more likely to been in contact with Christophe than I have._

As we arrived at my suite, Shanks and Augie went in first, casing the perimeter of the room and clearing each corner and under the bed. Shanks walked out of the bathroom as he lowered his weapon. "All clear in here, August."

"Good to go then. Dru, does anything look different to you? Check every inch to see if you can tell what Gogol was up to." I nodded my agreement with his command.

As I paced the room I also felt the materials and surfaces within the room. If there was anything magical that was tampered with, I was hoping the Touch would indicate it. As I passed my bookshelf, I sensed something was off so I paused to look at the small library of readings.

In the years I'd spent in my suite, the same suite my mother stayed in, I'd never read a single book from cover to cover. There was just no time between classes, physical challenges and sorcery lessons. I knew the spines of the books on my shelf fairly well and I saw that one book looked unfamiliar to me.

I pulled it to take a better look. It was bound in leather with a dark brown strap that wrapped several times around. I was curious to know whom it belonged to. As I held the book in my hands, without any incantation being said, the _touch_ pulled me into its owner's memories.

_Many times, I wanted to leave the Order. For years I was lost and without purpose. Each day was exhausting and I found myself wondering if there was too much effort to be… alive. If Dylan had not been there for me, like the brother he would have become through marriage, I would have given in._

_The darkness inside me was rooted in the fact that every _svetocha_ we knew of was gone, either murdered by Lena or snatched by _wampire_ just before we'd arrive. The Order was becoming disheartened and distorted. I could see it in the faces of the others. A few did leave and I did not blame them. In fact I envied them for being able to walk away, which was a luxury I did not have. My guilt kept me with the Order._

_When we got the early evening call from LeFevre, his voice was not the familiar, confident one we all knew and respected. For the first time, he sounded afraid. He said that his location was compromised and that he feared for his family's life. He then informed us that he was protecting a _svetocha_, his daughter Elizabeth, whom he had been hiding for 14 years. We dropped everything to get to their location._

_Our trip to LeFevre's home was agonizing. It took nearly six hours. When we finally arrived, we were too late. It was obvious from the burned out and decimated building that an attack of tremendous measure occurred. _

_We proceeded with caution and moved in from the rear to the front of the two story house. The building was barely standing given it was two centuries old and still smoking. The walls were flayed with blood. It appeared that _wampire_ ashes were scattered about. LeFevre killed a few of the attackers at least. When we reached the inner family room, that is when we finally we found them. The two figures were charred beyond recognition, but we could tell they were adults. The girl, the svetocha, was no where in sight. _But where could she be? Did they take her with them? If so could she still be alive?

_Hiro dropped to one knee. His jaw was taut and his eyes were black, almost as if his soul evacuated his body. He said nothing but his body shuddered with emotion. August was cursing God, Saint Raphael and the Devil all at the same time. Dylan couldn't tolerate the scene and left to be alone. _

_Bruce cursed in his native tongue_. "Hey Bhagwaan. _Milady is here somewhere. We must find her. Search everywhere. We have to know... if she is alive."_

_There was no time to be angry. I searched the property from the top to the bottom like a madman. The thought of losing another svetocha haunted my mind. If Elizabeth was taken or killed by Sergej, it was my job to remedy the situation. _

_As I entered the small library, I heard a slight noise that caused me to pause near the fireplace. It sounded like a scraping noise and then a wimper. I studied the moulding around the mantle then felt for a weakness in the wood. A lever popped downward and the mantle swung open. Before I had a chance to look, a blur of brown hair nearly flew to the door. "Milady, I mean, Elizabeth. I mean you no harm. I'm here to save you. Do you know what happened?"_

_The brown-eyed beauty before me looked scared and barely able to comprehend my words. Bruce slowly entered the room and the girl scurried into the corner, crouching behind a chair. "It is alright now, Elizabeth. May I call you that or do you prefer Liz or Beth?" Bruce's voice was soft and comforting. _

_"Where's my mama and papa?" She asked without looking directly at us. _

_Bruce sighed and looked at me quickly. "Milady, we have found them, but we cannot take you to them. They are… gone." _

_"I want my parents. They said they'd come get us when it was safe. Where are they now?" Her eyes were already red from crying but the tears started to trickle from her again. _

_"They are gone, Milady. Did you just say "us"? Is there someone else with you in there?" _

_Before I could look into the small space, another girl stepped from around the corner with a shotgun in her arms. "Get back from her, both of you now, before I use this to make you each a new one." This girl was obviously older and more confident in herself. She looked about the age of 16. _

_Bruce spoke in a calm voice. "Alright, you are obviously skilled with your weapon and we are only here to help. We are not wampire. We are Kourio, just like your father." _

_The young woman spoke assertively and without apologies. "I can see that you are_ djamphire_ like my step-father but that doesn't mean I trust you any more than the vicious, murdering _wampire_ who attacked us tonight. Now, leave this house and do not come back." Her hazel eyes were definitive. _

"Dru! Did you hear what I said?" Someone touched my shoulder and I was suddenly pulled back into the present moment. I jumped and grabbed the hand that made contact. With a pull and a flip I threw the body attached to the limb onto the carpeted floor of the suite.

"Ow, it's me for fuck's sake! What the hell?" It was Shanks' voice. His tall lanky body landed on its hands and knees but in a very ungraceful way. I was still coming out of the vision and felt pulled apart by the past and the present.

"Easy, Dru girl. You seemed to blank out for a moment. Are you alright?" August's words were comforting even though he always looked rough around the edges.

"I… I just saw something that I don't know what it means. It was Christophe. This is Christophe's, isn't it?" I held out the journal for August to view. He took the book in his hands and turned it over to inspect further.

"Aye, it is. But why is it here?"

"Good question. I don't recall seeing it here before." _Is it possible that Lena put it here? If she did, then why? _I had so many questions that needed answers, especially about the second girl, who said she was my grandfather's daughter by marriage._ That would mean she was or is my mother's half-sister… in other words, my aunt._

"Augustine, is there something you want to tell me about the day you and Christophe saved my mother from the suckers?" I looked at him in a shrewd kind of way.

"What are you talking about, Dru?" August took a step back and leaned against the back of the couch.

"You know what, August. How can you question me about keeping secrets from you when you're the one that has held out on me for-ever!" My aspect flushed as my anger bubbled through. August looked bemused and totally ignorant. "Forget it Augie. I can't believe you're not going to tell me the truth. I'll get answers from someone else." I walked to my door and opened it. "I thought I could trust you."

I found myself alone in my room a few minutes later, too tired to care about being attacked and threatened. I went unconscious the moment my head hit the pillow.

In the morning, for breakfast Nat brought me a sensible meal to eat before the Pactus started. "You're a lifesaver. Thank you for avoiding the bacon and eggs." I ate my yogurt and granola in peace and quiet. "Have you seen Ash lately?"

"Yeah, he's been hanging out with Graves quite a lot since he returned. I didn't think Ash missed him that much, but apparently he did. They seem to be buds."

"Huh. That's interesting." I resisted the urge to scratch my head.

At nine, we met again in the great hall for day two of the Pactus. Graves entered just before the start of session so I didn't get to talk to him before Bruce banged the gavel to signal the start. Upon being seated, Graves' left elbow rubbed up against my arm. "Pardon me, Milady." As I looked up at him, he raised an eyebrow and flashed a secretive smile. A quiver rushed through my body as my aspect smoothed out the curls in my hair. To avoid seeming flustered, I shifted my position in my chair.

As the day rambled on, I tried to stay unruffled and focused on each kind's interests. The tension was building between Alton and Graves especially. At least once each of them made indirect comments about the other side having low accountability or integrity.

I could tell when Graves was irritated by observing his familiar facial tics. When he was annoyed he'd rub his eyebrows with his right thumb and middle finger. When we was angry, he'd clench his jaw, which made the muscles on his cheeks flare out. I noticed he did each of those moves half a dozen times throughout the day.

By the end of day two, I was mentally drained. The excess energy made my knees bounce when I sat at the table. The lack of physical movement was irritating and grating on my nerves. I longed to go outside to run and jump over as many obstacles outside as I could find.

As I left the great hall to retreat to my room, Ash bounded up to me. "Dru, can I go with Graves later to get a burger and shake?" He was so enthusiastic about being asked to do something with the new pack. I didn't want to disappoint him at all. However, I considered the danger in his request.

"Um, its not my decision to make Ash but you know how things are a little unsafe these days." He looked at me with some confusion in his facial expression. "If you're going when the sun comes up then…" Ash suddenly looked happy.

"I will be care-ful, Dru." He annunciated his words slowly. I was proud of Ash for making a lot of progress in his grammar and vocabulary as well as socially, especially in the recent months. I often worried about Ash's future. _What does a former brainwashed _wulf_ do with himself after centuries of being a prisoner in his werewolf state? _

"Dru, I wish you and Graves could be together forever and I could come live with you guys. We could be happy… but I know that is against the rules."

I was caught by surprise hearing Ash's last statement. "What are you talking about, Ash? What rules?" I was hoping that Ash was referring to some odd game he'd been playing lately.

"Wulfen rules, Dru. Not okay… _svetocha_." Ash spoke very calmly and seemed to be dismissive of my questions. "Remember, no _wulfen _with_ svetocha_." He turned to look out the bank of windows on the westside of the hallway and seemed to be thinking of other things already.

I pretended like I wasn't shocked and hurt on the inside. "Oh yeah, the rules. I forgot, Ash. Have a good time with Graves later. I love you."

"Love you too, Dru." He ran down the hallway and toward the wulfen dormitories.

_Is this what everyone's been holding out on me… some kind of law that forbids wulfen from getting involved with female Kourio? What dumb-ass made that rule and why? How far back does this prohibition go anyways? Who's it supposed to protect, me or him? _I was angry as hell and wanted to talk with the number one person who'd know how I'd feel.

I made a right turn at the center of the _schola_ and headed toward the _wulfen _quarters on the lower level. Even though the dignitaries had rooms on the upper level I knew that Graves was still sleeping in his old dorm room. I passed Benjamin on the way to the stairs. "Milady, may I ask where you are headed at this hour?"

None of your business right now, thank you."

"Actually you are my business remember? Plus, I don't know if you will be given a warm welcome tonight. Things were pretty rough at the Pactus today, don't you think?" Benjamin moved into my path as an attempt to change my mind or slow me down at least.

"I know what happened today. I was there. This is personal, not about Pactus. Hang around if you want Benjamin but I'm going down there." I pushed him aside gently and continued my search for Graves.

As we arrived on the lower level, the wulfen security detail approached. "Good evening Milady, are you lost?"

I almost laughed at their false attempt to be polite. "No, definitely not lost. I'm looking for Graves, I mean, Edgar, no um… Hideki."

"Please forgive our bluntness, Milady, but he is not available to see you at this moment. May we bring a message?"

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips.

Benjamin touched my elbow in an effort to encourage me to give up my mission. "Dru, now doesn't sound like the right time." He pulled harder at my arm.

"Step off Benjamin. I heard what they said." I again turned to face the _wulfen_ guards. "I'm not asking for your permission. I'm here to talk to Graves. So please get out of my way." I still resisted using any ultimatums. It would just end up sounding like some desperate threat.

I quickly pivoted around Guard #1 and made it two steps before Guard #2 grabbed my arm. I yanked my limb free and started running. Someone grabbed my waist and pulled me to the cold cement ground. Another body tacked us both and I found myself rolling to the wall to avoid the scuffle. As I turned, I saw Benjamin and both guards wrestling with each other like boys on the playground. It was an odd sight especially since all of them were wearing suits with ties.

"Stop it, now!" The commanding voice of a female _wulf_ echoed in the tiny space. I looked up to see Jae-Hwa standing in the doorway of Graves' dorm. She was cool but seemed to be irked by the scene before her. When the men didn't stop fighting, she walked toward the fighters and yanked one of the guards off of Benjamin then threw him backwards down the hall. He slid on his rear for more than six feet after he hit the floor.

_Holy cow. That girl's got skills. She doesn't play around. _I realized that the fight was a result of my own doing and that there would be consequences for my actions. I immediately regretted storming in like some ego-driven _svetocha_ with no regard for other people's needs.

As the men stood up to assess the damage, Graves stepped into the narrow hallway. "Dru, are you okay?" He held out his arm for me to grasp. I gripped the inside of his elbow and he pulled me off the floor like I weighed nothing.

"Yeah I guess. I was just trying to talk to you but Dumb and Dumber here wouldn't let me." I motioned to the two wulfen who were slightly bleeding from cuts on their faces and knuckles. Benjamin already had a shiner along with a puffy lower lip. _I'm definitely going to have hell to pay over this squabble._

"Well they're just doing their jobs, you know. You can't just barge in whenever you want. We're in the middle of Pactus, in case you didn't notice." He gave me a sarcastic remark, the first I'd heard in a few days.

"Shut up, Edgar. I need to talk to you… alone. Are you gonna let me stay or not?" I was irritated but tried not to seem overly bitchy. I knew there was a real possibility that I'd be labeled as _Anna the Second_.

"Come in, Milady." He stood to the side and motioned for me to enter. I swept past Graves, walked into the suite and heard the door shut behind us.

**Readers: Is Dru going to confront Graves with her true feelings and will he reciprocate? Who is the other girl in Christophe's memory, Dru's aunt? When is Christophe planning on coming back or is he gone for good? What is Lena up to next in her evil plan to drink Dru dry and absorb her powers? See you next week. **


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